A new generation: A side story of Rin and Kohaku
by Emily the Tsarina of Tokyo
Summary: Rin is excited when Kohaku returns from his training journey, but she still feels lonely. Elements of life and love bring these two together in, A new generation: A side story of Rin and Kohaku! RinxKohaku, T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Our story takes place when Kira is still a child, and Kohaku and Rin are both teenagers.

ooOoo

There was quiet mist creeping in from the mountain in the early hours of the morning, filtering through the trees and into the valleys. Rin felt cold and clammy for a moment as a chill ran through her, before she remembered why she was out there on that lonely stream bank. It was washing day for her, and she wanted to get her chores done early so she could spend more time with her father when he visited.

She scrubbed her clothes faster in the water as a thrill of excitement tickled her all the way down to her toes. It had already been a month since she had last been visited by her father and she couldn't wait to see him again. He didn't really like the humans in the village, so his visits were short and only once a month. But Lady Kaede made sure she was alright in that lonely little hut, and her father brought her gifts too.

Rin laughed in the silence. Silly father, he thought that he had to bring all sorts of presents to make up for not visiting often enough. He was rather doting, and Rin wondered if that might be a problem in the future. To him she was still his little girl, even though she was already eighteen and a grown up woman.

"BOO!"

Rin jumped a foot in the air. She looked behind her and glared. It was Shippo. "You little scoundrel! What are you doing, running around scaring people out of their wits? If I had a knife with me, I might have thrown it at you, thinking you were an attacker."

He scuffed the ground with his foot paw. "Aw, I was just fooling around. You wouldn't really stab me, would you? Anyways, Kaede said she saw you go out early in the morning, so I thought I'd see what you were doing. And it turns out you were washing clothes; how boring."

She stood up with her basket, towering over him, even though she herself wasn't of great height. "Washing clothes isn't boring. You might try it sometime."

He puffed out his little chest. "No way, that's girl stuff! I never wash my clothes!"

Rin wrinkled her nose. "I can tell. But doesn't Sango do your dirty laundry? She's very kind to do it."

"Yeah, but I babysit her kids in return."

"Well, that's very nice of you Shippo."

"Not really. She always leaves me some of her rice cakes as extra pay for keeping a handle on her rascals."

"Oh, I see."

They walked through the woods, back in the direction of the village. Shippo snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! I just remembered! Sango's brother Kohaku is coming back!"

Rin blinked and glanced at him curiously. "When?"

"Today, I think. She got a letter from him a while back."

Rin grabbed his cheeks and pulled. "Why didn't you tell me, you little nuisance of a fox-demon?"

Tears of pain leaked out of his eyes. "Ah diden knaw oo wan'ed oo knaw! Ow, ow, ow! Rin, ur 'urtin meee!"

She dropped him unceremoniously, and he massaged his bruised cheeks. "Ow, Rin, whadja do that for?"

She kept walking and he had to scramble to catch up. "I can't believe you didn't tell me he was coming back!"

"I didn't know you cared so much for him or I would have!"

Rin whirled on him, blushing furiously. "I don't care for him! I mean, I do, but it's because he's Sango's brother! I was just… slightly worried for his safety!" She turned and stomped away.

"Riiiiight, and I'm emperor of the world."

Without turning she shook her head. "I'm serious! I don't care for him like that!"

"Like what?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!"

Shippo shrugged in an attempt to act innocent. "Maybe, maybe not. I'm just a little guy; I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're not such a little guy anymore— I mean, look at you. You've gotten taller."

He checked himself frantically. "I have not! Have I? Oh, no! I _am_ taller! There goes my cute kid act!"

Rin put her hands on her hips. "I should say so. You're practically a teenager now. A short teenager, granted, but you're getting taller every day. You can't go around getting free food because you're cute anymore."

"I can't?"

"_No_, you've got to start fending for yourself. Like me. I do my own laundry, I gather my own rice, cook my own food, mend my own clothes, live in my own house, and wash my own dishes. Name one thing you do all by yourself, _for_ yourself."

The little fox-demon scratched his head, squinting. "Er, um, ha-ha, uh, I… I mean, I…" He blew a sigh of frustration. "Ok, so I don't do anything. But I'm still _kind of _a kid; what can I do?"

"Hmm, I've got an idea. You could live with me, but I wouldn't do any of your chores; you'd have to pull your own weight around, and gather your own rice, and I'd teach you how to cook. In exchange, you get a roof over your head, and experience in living on your own. How's that?"

Shippo rubbed his paws together. "Great! When do I move in?"

Rin smiled. "If you want, right now. Go get your stuff and bring it over to my place. I'll help you get settled in."

"Ok! Be back before you can say 'rice'!" He ran off like a shot.

Just for fun, Rin grinned and said, "Rice—oops, you're late," and headed back to her small house. Everything was quiet and calm as it should be. She put away her laundry, and began making breakfast. "Now, let's see: Shippo won't be able to cook yet, so I'd better make the first few meals for us. I don't want any rice wasted by being over-cooked or under-cooked."

She was completely focused on her work, and as she hung up her laundry to dry, she didn't notice Kirara's landing, or the figure that descended from her back. It wasn't until Kirara reverted to her kitten-form and rubbed against her ankle, mewling, that Rin finally looked up. She choked back a gasp.

It was Kohaku.

He was taller, stronger, and more handsome than she remembered, but it was Kohaku, without a doubt.

"Kohaku-san? But, what are you doing here?"

He grinned and pushed away the hair that had fallen in his eyes. "I saw you doing laundry, and couldn't wait to say hello. How are you, Rin? It's been ages since I saw you!"

She smiled back. "I'm alright. How about you?"

He laughed. "Never better, though I wouldn't have been able to say that a month ago."

"Why not?"

"Because a month ago I was getting clobbered by a particularly troublesome boar-demon. He was enormous!"

Rin covered her mouth. "Oh, were you hurt?"

"Eh, not too badly. Mostly bruises and such."

"That's good to hear." She stopped, and her eyes widened suddenly. "Wait a minute! What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Sango's? Good grief, here we are jabbering away, and your sister's probably worried about you!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that."

She glared at him. "Well, I would. Your sister's going to kill me if I don't get you to her house right now! Come on, I'll walk you there."

She was about to set off, when Kohaku grabbed her suddenly, swinging her up onto the now-huge Kirara's back. "Why don't we _fly_ there? It'll be faster."

"Isn't Kirara tired from your trip?"

Kohaku laughed. "No, she barely had to do anything. We walked most of the way, and _I_ carried _her_ a lot. A little exercise should do her good."

Rin sighed happily. "This is just like being on Ah-Un!"

"So, what's happened while I was gone?"

She thought a moment before answering. "Well, Kagome and Inuyasha had a baby a few years ago, and they named her Kira. She's really cute and love's playing with her cousins, er, adopted cousins, I mean, Sango and Miroku's children."

"Ah, yes. My nieces and nephew."

"Kaede's thinking about retiring, and we've had only one demon attack here, about two years ago. That's about it."

"Was anyone hurt in the demon attack?"

"Not that I can remember. Your sister and Inuyasha took care of it pretty quickly."

Kohaku looked down on the village as they circled for a landing. "It's been seven years. I can't believe I've been gone this long."

"Well, at least you've completed your training, right? And you _have_ written every once in a while."

He smiled at her as the landed. "Thanks, Rin, for always being so positive."

She grinned back. "No problem! I'm _positive_ly glad you're back!"

He groaned. "Really bad pun, Rin."

She tweaked his bangs. "That's what I'm here for!"

She walked him up to the door of Sango's house, before waving. "I'll see you around."

"Don't you wanna come in?"

She shook her head shyly. "Nah, I'll just get back to my laundry. And Shippo's probably lugging his stuff around, wondering where I am. He's moving in with me today."

"Shippo? I bet he doesn't look any older than a little kid."

"No, actually, he's gotten taller. He made a real fuss because he's starting to look like a teenager. No more free snacks."

"Well, I'm sorry you have to walk back. Maybe I could send Kirara with you, and then she could just fly back."

Rin waved her hands, backing away. "No, no! It's ok! I'm sure Sango wants to see Kirara too. Go on! Get in there, I bet she's worried about you." She turned and ran, disappearing behind some of the villagers' houses.

Kohaku watched her go, even after he couldn't see her anymore. Kirara nudged him in the back, purring, and when he looked at her, there was a knowing look in her eyes. She reverted to her smaller form and he picked her up, setting her on his shoulder. "Oh, shut up, Kirara. You don't know what you're talking about." She mewled, and there was a twinkle in her eye.

ooOoo

Rin stopped, breathless from running all the way back to her own house. Shippo was staggering around under the weight of his bundle. He squeaked as his towering pile of stuff almost toppled him over. "Rin! Help!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Shippo! Here, let me help." She grabbed more than half of the stuff, relieving him immensely.

"Oh, whew! Thanks, Rin. I thought I was gonna collapse under there! Where were you?"

They made their way into the house, and Rin set down the belongings in a spare corner. "There. Oh, Kohaku paid me a visit, so I walked, er, flew him to Sango's house."

Shippo scratched his head. "How did you fly?"

"On Kirara of course."

His eyes lit up. "Kirara's here? Where, where, where?"

"At Sango's house. Why?"

"Because I haven't pet her in ages! Only I know her secret itchy spots!"

"Are you sure about that? After all, Sango and Kohaku have known her all their lives."

"They don't know her special rub spots! I have to pet her!"

He made for the door, but Rin held him fast by his shirt. "Oh, no you don't. You're going to unpack all this stuff and help me hang up the laundry. Good grief! Do you really need all this junk?"

Shippo crossed his arms. "Of course I do. It's all my tricks, not to mention personal belongings."

"Oh, well. It can't be helped, I suppose. Come on, let's get that washing up to dry."

"Er," he said, shuffling his feet. "I, uh, don't really know how to hang up laundry."

Rin smiled kindly. "Don't worry; I'll teach you as we go. Come on then! We've got work to do."

Shippo tried one last tactic. "Do we have to?"

Rin crossed her arms sternly, and her smile disappeared. But there was a bit of a merry twinkle in her eye as she admonished him. "Of course! Now, no complaining, chin in, chest out, that's right! It's a lovely day for drying clothes!"

##################

This entire fanfic is dedicated to Jaylonni ReAnne (penname: Jaylonni Love), the winner of my Inuyasha contest!


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you watching the rice?"

Shippo turned quickly to the small pot of rice he was steaming. "Uh… yes? Wait, it's fine." He turned and glared at Rin who was leaning against the wall, watching him juggle the job of cooking for both of them. "Don't scare me like that! I thought it was burning or something."

Rin laughed. "I know that's what you thought. I was just giving you a little grief. Oh, by the way, the water for the tea is boiling."

He whipped back to the small cook fire, running both his hands through his hair. "Argh! No! I don't have the tea leaves ready yet!"

Rin covered her mouth and coughed, trying to hide her amusement. At any rate, Shippo managed to prepare the meal without burning the house to the ground. The rice was cooked almost perfectly, and the tea was exactly the right temperature. Rin gave her approval at the end of the meal, which they ate outside. "Excellent job, even though you had a few problems in the beginning. Next time, we'll work on your multitasking skills. Being able to watch two pots at once is a useful skill when you're the only one cooking."

He wiped a paw over his brow. "Whew, I had no idea cooking was this hard."

She smirked at him. "What? Did you think the food just _magically_ appeared?"

Shippo looked up at her, feigning innocence. "It _doesn't_?"

Rin whacked him with her chopsticks. "No, it doesn't, as you very well know, you rascal."

He rubbed the spot were she had whopped him. "Hey, no need to get violent."

"No? That's the only way to control you."

He propped his chin on his hand. "Oh, really? Maybe I'd behave… if you made me an entire cauldron of rice!"

Rin stared at him. "Wha…?"

Shippo fell over laughing. "Oh, ha-ha! You should see your face! You… oh, he-he!"

Rin crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You little…! You know we don't have that much rice to spare! If you're going to be so greedy, maybe I should just kick you out of the house, eh?"

He leapt up, eyes wide. "Wait! You wouldn't kick me out just for that, would you?"

She sighed, looking to the heavens. "Don't worry, I won't. Good grief, I'm such a softie."

"But a _nice_ softie."

She waved a hand at him, with her eyes closed. "Yes, yes, I know. Go pick some mushrooms— preferably some that aren't poisonous, please."

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted, and ran off as fast as he could.

Rin surveyed the dirty dishes mournfully. "Oh, dear. I forgot to have him help me with the dishes first."

She pushed up her sleeves and got to work, clearing away the bowls, and putting them in a tub of hot, soapy water. She scrubbed determinedly at one particularly stubborn grain of rice and was surprised when an arm reached around her, and a hand enclosed hers, helping her scrub. She looked up to see Kohaku grinning down at her. "You need strong arms for this kind of work."

She swilled the water around in the tub. "I suppose so. I have pretty strong arms, I guess. But yours are probably stronger, what with all the physical labor you do."

"Probably. Where's Shippo? I thought he was living with you."

"He is. I just sent him to get some mushrooms."

"Oh," he said, pulling his arms away. "So he'll be back soon?"

Rin shrugged, going back to the dishes. "I guess so. Unless he dawdles. He does that when he doesn't really want to do any work."

Kohaku glanced at her hair, smiling. "You're wearing your hair exactly the same way I remember it."

"Huh? Oh, you mean the same as seven years ago." She laughed. "I haven't worn it any other way."

"I see. Boy, some things haven't changed."

Rin shrugged again. "Some things have, but I do see your point. What did you think of Daijiro, and Akari and Akemi?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "They're so much older now. The twins are helping Sango around the house, and Daijiro is learning how to hunt. I just can't believe how much they've grown."

"The world kind of just passed you by, huh?"

He looked at her. "That's exactly it."

"I feel that way too. Half the time I don't know what Father— I mean, Lord Sesshomaru is doing, and I feel kind of left out. He visits me, and brings me presents, and it's kind of selfish of me, but I really just want him to stay with me _all_ the time."

"Is that ribbon a gift from him?"

Rin fingered the beautiful red ribbon that held her hair in its ponytail, smiling. "Yes, it is."

Kohaku laughed nervously. "For a minute, I was afraid it was from some other guy."

She looked at him in surprise. "What other guy?"

"You know, maybe a guy from the village, or something. I guess Lord Sesshomaru never let anyone get close to you, though."

"Now that you mention it, he never really has. He always makes me promise to stay away from the young men in the village. He says they're evil."

"He's probably right— in a sense."

"I just don't understand it. They seem so nice sometimes."

He kept himself from smirking. "They seem that way, but you never know about teenage guys."

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, at least I know about _you_! You're kind, thoughtful, nice, sensitive, generous, and you can fight demons, which is more than I can say for the local-yokels."

"I tried to kill you once."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Under the influence of Naraku! Give me a break, it wasn't that bad. And Fathe— I mean, Lord Sesshomaru stopped you anyways. It turned out ok in the end, too. You started traveling with us for a while and that was good."

"I put you in danger more than once because Naraku sent his goons after me."

"Kagura wasn't a goon. She saved you a couple of times."

Kohaku smiled and turned away. "Yeah. I'm just sorry she wasn't able to see Naraku brought down."

"Father said she was smiling when she died. He said she was ready to be as free as the wind." She paused before adding, "I think he loved her very much."

"What makes you think that?"

"He tried to use the Tenseiga to save her. He's only used it on one other person— me. And he swore that her death would not be in vain, and that he would kill Naraku."

He turned to face her again. "But Kagome beat him to that."

She smiled sadly. "He wasn't too happy about that, but I think it was ok, as long as Naraku was destroyed."

They both reflected silently, until Rin suddenly exclaimed, "I'm sorry! I completely forgot! How was your training?"

He laughed. "Well, I can definitely say it was thorough."

"Seven years _is_ a long time."

"You've got that right. And I wasn't the only one— there were several other young demon-hunters who were away from home. I traveled with a few of them for a while, but they mostly wanted the villagers to pay if they exterminated a demon. It just didn't seem fair since training is for the experience."

"How did you live if you didn't accept money?"

"The villagers usually invited me to stay for a meal, but if it seemed like a poor village, I just went into the woods and hunted for my food."

Rin tilted her head curiously. "That must have been pretty hard."

Kohaku shrugged. "It's not much different from killing demons, especially if the quarry is large. I once got an entire stag, but I wasn't able to carry the rest of it with me, so I gave it to some villagers."

"That was kind of you."

"Not really. I just didn't want to carry it."

She bit her lip. "I still say it was kind. Stop trying to paint yourself in a bad light just because you were gone so long and everyone missed you."

He sat down on the grass, leaning his elbow on his knee, and looked up at her. "Everyone?"

She busied herself with taking the washed bowls into the house, and coming back out to dump the tub. "Well, yes. You know, the twins, and Daijiro, and of course Sango and Miroku. And I'm sure Inuyasha and Kagome missed you as well. They've told little Kira lots of stories about you."

Kohaku fiddled with some long pieces of grass. "And what about you?"

"Of course I've missed you. You were gone for seven years, after all."

He stood up and presented her with a flower, made from knotted grass. "But if I had only been gone a week, would you still have missed me?"

Rin stared up at him in puzzlement. "I don't understand."

"If it had been a week, instead of seven years, would you have missed me just as much?"

She blushed and looked down, saying in a quiet voice, "Yes."

He lifted her chin so that she was looking into his eyes. "Really?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"That's great!" He swept her up in a hug, surprising them both.

Rin blinked, wide-eyed, into his shoulder. "What did I say?"

Kohaku let her go, grinning. "The perfect thing. I'll see you later!" He gave her a peck on the cheek, and took off running, but paused and turned a few yards away. "By the way, you look beautiful!" He shot off in the direction of Sango and Miroku's house.

Rin blushed. "What _did_ I say?"

"Hey, Rin!" Shippo came skipping up. "I found lots of mushrooms, and they look delicious!" He held the basket up for her to see, but noticed that she was staring off in another direction. "Whatcha looking at?"

"I don't know!"

"Hey," he held up his paws. "Don't get frustrated, it was just a question!"

"Sorry."

His eyes widened, and he grinned. "It was Kohaku!"

She gave a start. "What?"

"I knew it! Rin's got boy, Rin's got a boy!"

Rin clapped a hand over his mouth. "_Shh_! What are you, crazy? Don't tell the whole village."

Shippo took her hand away. "Sorry, Rin. I just have one thing to ask."

"What's that?"

"When's the wedding?"

She glared at him. "You're a dead fox."

#################

This is dedicated to Jaylonni ReAnne (penname: Jaylonni Love), the winner of my Inuyasha contest!


	3. Chapter 3

Rin huffed in annoyance. "That little rat Shippo! I ought to wring his little neck! The nerve of that fox-demon, bringing in a little girl from the village to dinner, and then kicking me out! It's _my_ house!"

She kicked at a rock, and stubbed her toe on it. "Oh, oh, _oh_! _Dandelions and fir trees_! That _hurt_!"

"Have you injured yourself, sweet lady?" The elder Takida brother slipped out of the shadows.

Rin put a hand to her chest. "Takida-san, you scared me! I didn't see you there. I just stubbed my toe— it's not bad."

"Allow me to carry you back to your abode. You should not walk on your injury."

She avoided his gaze. "No, thank you. It wouldn't do any good if you did, anyway. A friend is having dinner with someone there, and I'm not allowed to intrude."

He tried to take her arm. "Then, perhaps you'll take a walk with me."

Rin evaded his grasp, edging away. "Again, thank you, but, no. It isn't entirely proper. Good night."

She attempted to walk away, but he followed close behind. "If I didn't know any better, Rin, I'd say you were trying to get away from me."

She turned, narrowing her eyes at him. "I would appreciate it if you didn't address me with such familiarity."

"But we're quite familiar, Rin."

"That's Rin-_san_ to you."

Takida grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from going any further. She tried to yank away. "Please let go."

"I don't think so." He grabbed her other arm.

"I _said_, let me go."

He pulled her closer. Rin felt panic well up within her. He had always been a little too bold with her, but this was absolutely outrageous. He bent down, his mouth close to her ear. "_No_."

Rin's entire being flamed with anger. She wrestled one arm free and slapped him as hard as she could. He didn't let go, and instead recaptured her free arm. "Rin, you shouldn't struggle."

"Let go!"

One of his arms slipped around her, gently loosening her kimono. Rin's eyes widened and she froze in terror. Her brain shut down, trying to block out what was happening. She wanted to scream, but couldn't even find the strength to open her mouth. Takida's hand was creeping into her kimono, teasing the folds aside to have full access. She felt his thumb brush against her upper side, again, and again. Her limbs were useless in horror, and, taking advantage of this, Takida let go of her other arm to slip his other hand into her kimono. His arm encircled her small waist inside her clothes, and Rin closed her eyes in fear.

His mouth descended onto her neck, his lips tickling the tender skin, nipping here and there as he moved lower and lower. Her hand reached up timidly to stroke his head, and he thought he had victory. Just as he was lowering her to the grass and delving deeper into the folds of cloth, her knee came up suddenly with force that belied her small frame, hitting home hard.

His eyes bugged out of his head in agony.

Rin extracted herself from his tight embrace and pushed him to the ground. She ran as fast as she could in an unknown direction, retying her kimono with shaky hands. She stumbled several times over her own feet, continually looking behind her in terror. Without realizing it until too late, she was suddenly wading waste-deep through an icy stream. She had no idea where she was, and there was only the fear that drove her.

She practically fell onto the bank while scrambling out, her bare, wet feet slipping and sliding on the grass. Up ahead, through the trees, she could see some lights, and smelled smoke. She pushed through the thick branches, which returned the favor by whipping back and scratching her face mercilessly.

The next few moments went by in muddled flashes. All she remembered later was running across grass— then approaching a house that looked strangely familiar— a voice that she recognized vaguely— then a clamor of noise, and everything went black.

ooOoo

When she awoke it was daylight and she was lying in a room that she knew all too well. She sat bolt-upright, gripping the sheets that surrounded her.

"Don't worry, dear. You're safe."

She turned quickly, and saw Sango standing in the doorway, smiling kindly. "What am I doing here?"

"You stumbled up to our doorway last night and fainted before we could ask what you were doing here. You gave all of us quite a scare. Kohaku was really worried when we couldn't revive you."

Rin blushed. "He's here?"

"Well, he _does_ sort of live here now."

"Right. Dumb question."

Sango knelt down next to her and wrapped her up in a hug. "No, it's ok. You're a little disoriented after last night. Don't worry about it, Rin."

Rin let go with a sigh. "Thanks."

"Now," Sango's expression was serious. "Do you want to tell me what happened now, or do you want to wait until Kohaku hits you with a barrage of questions?"

"Maybe I'd better tell you now." She related everything that had transpired before she accidently found her way to their house, pausing every once in a while to regulate her shaky breathing. When she finished, Sango's face was stormy. Rin's friend stood. "I'm going to kill him."

"What?"

"I'm going to kill that scum."

Rin chuckled dryly. "You don't have to do that. As long as I can avoid him for the rest of my life, I'll be fine." She paused, biting her lip. "I would appreciate it… if you didn't mention this to my father."

Sango's eyes were doubtful. "He needs to know, Rin."

"No! He doesn't! If he finds out what happened, he'll kill Takida-san, and even though I loathe the man, I don't want that to happen. I don't want his death hanging over my head."

Sango sighed. "Alright. Because you asked me not to, I won't mention anything to Lord Sesshomaru. But you're going to have a hard time keeping Kohaku quiet."

Rin groaned. "Oh, no. Kohaku! Can you talk to him, please? Try to convince him that everything's fine."

Her friend scoffed. "Everything most certainly is _not_ fine, and he knows it, but I'll try my best."

"Thank you."

Sango stood and was almost out the door, when she paused, looking back. "Are you really sure you're all right, Rin?"

"I don't know. But I think I will be soon."

Sango disappeared from view, but Rin heard her call back, "Kohaku was really, _really_ worried about you…"

A few moments later, Kohaku rushed in the room. "Rin, you're awake!"

"Yeah," She shifted uncomfortably in his presence. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He dropped onto his knees next to her. "Sango told me what that rotter did to you. I'm going to kill him! Do you have any bruises or anything?"

She shook her head emphatically. "I'm fine! Please don't kill Takida because of me! And please don't mention this to my father."

"That scum deserves to die, Rin."

"That may be, but I don't want you to do _anything_ to him. That includes beating him up."

He stood and started pacing. "That's not fair, Rin. I feel like I need to punch something!"

"Well, you can punch anything you like, as long as it's not Takida. Eventually, people are bound to find out, but I'd like to keep this a secret as long as possible."

"So, you just want me to stay silent?"

Rin nodded. "Yes."

Kohaku ran a hand through his hair. "That's going to be hard when I feel this angry."

"Try. For me?"

He looked down at her pleading eyes, and sighed. "Alright, Rin. You win."

She leapt up and surprised him with a hug. "Thank you! It means so much to me!"

She couldn't see his face, but his voice was full of embarrassment. "You're welcome."

Rin spent the rest of the day sitting and watching the outside world. Butterflies flitted about, heedless of the turmoil which had occurred only the night before. Birds chirping in the trees weren't afraid of what or who might be about, possibly watching from the shadows. Rin, however, jumped every time she heard a sound, whether it was from inside the house, or out. Things were all muddled together in a confusing jumble and she needed to sort them out, but being afraid wasn't helping her frame of mind very much.

Nothing really made sense anymore.

About noon, when the sun was high in the sky, Sango brought a bowl of rice to Rin, but when she returned for the dish, it was still full. The former demon-slayer was a bit worried when Rin didn't even acknowledge that the food was even there.

Before she left, though, Rin asked her suddenly, "What do you think it would take to become a demon-slayer?"

Surprised, she answered, "Many years of training and experience. It's fairly dangerous. Why do you ask?"

The only response she received was a mumbled, "No reason."

It wasn't until nightfall when Rin came out of her thoughtful reverie. She looked up in surprise to see that it was rapidly growing dark, and the birds were singing their evening song. So deep had her thoughts been, that the day had flown by without her knowing it.

Kohaku appeared beside her, carrying two bowls of rice. He handed one too her, along with chopsticks. "Here, I figured you'd be hungry after not eating lunch."

"I completely forgot about lunch!"

He looked at her anxiously. "I know. Sis said you didn't even notice the rice she brought you."

Rin colored slightly. "Oh."

"It's ok. You had a lot to think about."

"And I didn't get any of it sorted out. Well, except for one thing I decided."

"What's that?"

"Well," she spoke slowly. "I've decided that I want to become a demon-slayer."

He almost dropped his bowl. "You _what_?"

"I need to know how to defend myself. You know, kill or be killed? I don't want to be a weak little girl who relies on the people around her to protect her."

"Yeah, but you can learn that without having to become a demon-slayer!"

She smiled at him. "I want to rid the world of evil demons, like you."

"It's too dangerous!"

"Are you saying I can't become a demon-slayer?"

"Yes!"

"Are you going to stop me?"

He caught her eye, gazing into the depths of rich brown. "If I have to."

"Alright then, if you're going to be that way and not let me become a demon-slayer, you'll just have to be my official protector."

Kohaku pulled back, puzzled. "Your what?"

Rin put her hands on her hips. "You heard me. If I'm going to be defenseless, then I need someone to protect me."

"Rin, you're just trying to make me let you become a demon-slayer."

"Maybe…"

He sighed. "You won't be defenseless. I'll teach you some stuff so you can protect yourself."

She crossed her arms. "Promise?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I promise."

"Good. Let's begin." She stood, walking out into the grass.

"Wait, _now_?"

"Why not? No time like the present and all that."

Kohaku sighed and stood. "Alright. First, you hold your hands up like this…"

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This is dedicated to Jaylonni ReAnne (penname: Jaylonni Love), the winner of my Inuyasha contest!


	4. Chapter 4

It was a week later. The sun was shining prettily through the leafy canopy, and the birds were singing their morning song for the entire world to hear. But, despite the beauty of their melody, there was only one person to hear.

Rin was walking through their woods, thoroughly enjoying the birdsong she heard, but a bit preoccupied. She was on her way to another lesson with Kohaku, and one of her forms didn't seem right to her. She went through it in her mind over and over again, but she still couldn't see where she went wrong.

It was very frustrating.

She absentmindedly picked a few flowers on the trail, thinking what an interesting arrangement blue and yellow would make. One of the little wild flowers slipped out of her grasp. She bent to pick it up, and when she straightened, she saw the elder Takida brother.

He was smiling annoyingly.

Rin's eyes narrowed.

And the birds kept chirping.

Rin drew herself up taller. "What do you want?"

He pushed away from the tree he had been leaning against. "You know, we never really finished our _conversation_."

"There was no conversation, and you know it."

"Well, we still didn't finish."

"I didn't want to finish."

He grimaced, remembering the pain. "I know. You can be a little spitfire when you want to. But don't worry; I like spirited girls."

"Well, _I_ don't like guys who force themselves on girls."

"It's not my fault I had to use force. You could've complied."

"Like **** I would!" She surprised both herself and him with her outburst. "You are the most selfish, overbearing, rude, and _disgusting_ person I have ever met! I would never 'comply' in a million years, not to you, or to anyone like you!"

"Oh, I think you would— if you were… _persuaded_ the right way."

A cool anger overtook Rin. It was not an uncontrollable rage— in fact, it was as if she was finally had complete control of her feelings. "Why don't you take your '_persuasion'_ and stick it where the sun doesn't shine, huh? Give me a break and go jump in a lake."

"Ah, but it would not extinguish my burning passion for you."

"Then maybe _this_ will!"

He had slowly been moving towards her and was now in range. She whipped around in a strong round-house kick, knocking him to the ground. He scrambled up and lunged at her, but she moved nimbly to the side and elbowed him in the back. He stumbled past her, carried by his momentum and the force of the blow.

"I think you need to take a nap!" She used the special technique Kohaku had taught her (the one that had been giving her difficulties), hitting nerve points in his neck. He slumped to the ground, unconscious, but still breathing.

"It worked! I can't wait to tell Kohaku I got it right!"

Rin walked away from the elder Takida brother's prostrate form, but paused to glance back in disgust. "Pleasant dreams, you pervert."

She ran through the woods, excited by her victory, and thrilled at her success with the move that had given her problems before. It felt amazing to be able to defend herself, all by herself, with no help from anyone! Well, almost no help. Kohaku _had_ taught her the fighting forms that had gotten her out of that sticky situation.

Rin laughed aloud. "I feel like I could defeat _hundreds_ of demons!"

She twirled around in circles, and bumped into something that was concealed by some bushes. She landed hard on her posterior, wincing at the pain. "Ow, what was that?"

What looked like a snakes head rose above the leafy bushes, staring hard and menacingly at her. Its tongue flickered in and out between its sharp, pointed teeth. "Ssssss…. Defeat hundredsssss of demonsssss, would you? Why don't you try _one_ firssssst? I am the bringer of death, and it'ssss _your_ turn, little human!"

He hissed loudly, sending slimy spittle spraying all over her. She recoiled, but the snake followed her. It came out of the deep bushes, revealing a long, scaly body, with clawed legs sprouting here and there from the sides. It had razor-sharp ridges on its back, and a wide frilly flap around its head that it kept splaying at her.

Rin barely had time to think before it was circling her, closing in with its enormously long coils wrapping round, and round her. Her arm accidently brushed its scaly skin. It was slimy, like an amphibian's skin. She stood, trying to see if she could jump over the coils around her, but the snake-demon only tightened his clutches.

One of its legs shot out and grabbed at her leg, its sharp claws piercing her skin and drawing blood. Rin gritted her teeth against the agony as its grasp on her calf tightened. She kicked the coils with her free leg, and when that didn't work, she stomped on the limb that held her other leg.

The snake-demon hissed angrily at her, and its head shot out at her, mouth wide open, revealing rows and rows of vicious teeth. In a last effort, Rin grabbed its head with her bare hands before it attacked her, keeping it at bay as it struggled wildly. She let go with one hand and punched the side of its head as hard as she could. The snake writhed in pain, and she hit it again.

Her grip on its head was beginning to loosen, and just as it was about to wriggle free of her grasp, she quickly seized it by its frenzied, flapping neck frill, causing it to shriek. Despite the immense danger she was in, Rin managed to think to herself, _Good grief! Does it have to yell __**right**__ in my ear?_

A shout behind her made her turn to look. It was Kohaku, running towards the two combatants with his demon-slaying weapon whirling in his hands. "Rin! I'm coming!"

The snake-demon took advantage of the distraction to attack Rin again. Its jaws came dangerously close to her before she punched it upside the head again. She hit it over and over, angry that this ridiculous demon had almost got the best of her. She didn't even notice when its head went limp, and wasn't until its coils loosened and fell from around her that she realized it was unconscious.

Rin stared at it in disbelief.

"I… I did it. I…"

Kohaku finally reached her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Rin, are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"No…" She was still in a daze. "I'm… fine."

"Are you sure? You sound dizzy. Do you need to sit down?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm ok. I think."

He raised his eyes to the heavens. "Thank goodness you're all right. Rin, how could you do something so reckless? You don't know how to fight demons! You could have been killed!"

She stared at him in puzzlement, as if noticing him for the first time. "What are you doing out here?"

Kohaku rolled his eyes. "You didn't show up for your lesson on time, so I came looking for you. It's a good thing I did, too. You could have been that snake-demon's breakfast, Rin!"

"But I wasn't! I knocked him out, see? Look! He's out cold, and I'm not hurt! I'd say the score is Rin: 1, Snake: 0!"

He sighed. "Rin, when I saw you in that thing's coils, I was so worried. I thought I was going to lose you. You have to be more careful."

Rin looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's not your fault. It's just… I wanted to run in and snatch you out of danger, then make sure that slimy demon would never see the light of day again. It was awful to think that he was about to devour you and I was still yards away, unable to do anything."

She took his hand gently. "Kohaku-kun, I was able to take care of myself, but I'm glad you can protect me. It's strange, because I've spent my whole life being protected and lately I haven't wanted to be defended by anyone else, but I feel like if you protect me, it's ok."

He looked down at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "Ever since I moved out of Kaede's house, I've been living on my own, taking care of myself, and telling myself that I'd be alright by myself. I mean, sure, my father comes to see me, and he's really protective, but it still kind of felt like it was just me all alone. It's been pretty lonely."

"I'm sorry, Rin."

"But then you came back, and you knew what it was like to be alone. I really missed you when you were gone, and when you came back, it was as if a large piece of my heart came back." She blushed and looked down. "Sorry, I'm not saying this clearly. What I mean is… You're back in my life, and I don't want you to ever leave again. I'll understand if you do, though."

Kohaku lifted her chin with his hand. "Rin, I'm never leaving again."

Rin's eyes widened and she looked up at him. "You're not?"

"I figure I've trained enough to be a good demon-slayer, and it's time I stayed in one place. And I'd really like it, if you would be with me, so that neither of us is ever lonely again."

"You mean…?"

He nodded. "Rin, will you marry me? I promise that you'll never have to be alone, ever again."

She smiled at him, completely brimming over with happiness. "If I'm by your side, I never will."

As I'm sure you predicted, they kissed, passionately, and lovingly. They were swept up in each other, forgetting all about the unconscious snake-demon that lay only three feet away, who was oblivious to their innocent love, and, in fact, the entire world.

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This is dedicated to Jaylonni ReAnne (penname: Jaylonni Love), the winner of my Inuyasha contest!


	5. Epilogue

Rin and Kohaku were married on a lovely spring day, when the flowers were blooming just for the special occasion. Their friends and family were all there to help them celebrate their wonderful day.

Sango, Kagome, and Kaede cried, of course.

And Inuyasha and Shippo rolled their eyes at the three women, of course.

Sesshomaru came to give his adopted daughter away, but several guests near the front swore they heard him growl at his son-in-law to-be. This rumor was verified by the fact that Rin gave her father a loving, yet scolding, look after the supposed growl.

After the wedding, Sango took Rin aside to tell her a few interesting tidbits about Kohaku, which apparently gave cause for a rosy blush to creep up the bride's cheeks. Kohaku glared at his sister after taking back his wife's arm (who, I should mention, was still blushing).

Shippo happily moved out of Rin's small house, back to Sango and Miroku's, claiming that a bachelor didn't need to hang around newly-weds.

Sesshomaru still came to visit his daughter and her husband, even though he always held a small grudge against Kohaku for "taking his daughter away". Jaken always observed what a lovely couple Rin and Kohaku made, and always earned a lump on the head.

Kohaku and Rin were happy together, despite their few arguments, because, as they said, they had each other.

And neither of them was alone, ever again.

Especially since their two children wouldn't let them be.

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This is dedicated to Jaylonni ReAnne (penname: Jaylonni Love), the winner of my Inuyasha contest!


End file.
